


Pa Demi

by Speechless_since_1998



Series: Bloodline [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute, Dorks in Love, Father-Son Relationship, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lotor knows, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Pre-Relationship, Protective Keith (Voltron), Redemption, Season 7 Fix it, Sins of the Father, Slavery, Voltron: Legendary Defender Season/Series 07, but he didn't know if he approves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Speechless_since_1998/pseuds/Speechless_since_1998
Summary: (Sequel of Skotádis)The Paladins accept a dangerous mission: infiltrate Pa Demi and find out where the slave trader Kaldrum has taken the kidnapped children of Akhet.Unfortunately for them, Haggar turned to Kaldrum to capture Lotor and Lance, and the two will have to learn to work together in order to survive.And it won't be easy, not when Lance doesn't want to listen to Lotor at all.----------------"Aren't you afraid that the queen will convince the paladins to come to Pa Demi?"“She could do it. So? What's the problem?""Aren't you worried?""Why?""They could ruin the auction."“They should first be able to find out where it will take place."[...]" He always provided me with strong men. Even though they were slaves, they were fighters capable. "Lance turned pale, " Did you use slaves? "" Yes, why? " Lotor asked, apparently oblivious to his son's discomfort.[...]Lotor tiredly rubbed his eyes," Things are more complicated than that, Ellie. "The atmosphere becomes tense. Hunk watched nervously his best friend as if he dreaded his reaction."Oh, you're kidding me. You have no right to use her name!"
Relationships: Acxa & Ezor & Lotor & Narti & Zethrid (Voltron), Allura & Lotor (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance & Lotor (Voltron)
Series: Bloodline [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768357
Comments: 40
Kudos: 86
Collections: A Labyrinth of Fics





	1. Prologue

Kaldrum's office was an aseptic room.

Light from Akhet's two suns filtered through the stained glass window, casting red and orange reflections on the desk and display cabinets of artifacts that tetramatia had collected over the years: rare objects, some potentially dangerous, others only aesthetically pleasing. 

Now he was admiring was a glass vase about one meter high and decorated with subtle geometric patterns. 

He had received it as payment for a shipment of slaves from a former general of Queen Ta-Hemdjert, who had assured him that it was old and had belonged to the royal family for generations.

A glance was enough for him to understand that the vase was worth more than the slaves, and he accepted it willingly.

The Akhesian hadn't told him how he got it, and Kaldrum hadn't bothered to ask him.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"You can enter."

“Sir! - a gray-skinned frog-like boy entered with a holographic tablet in hand - There are problems."

Kaldrum didn't look up from the vase, “What happened, Semsu? Problems with the goods? "

“No, sir. But Voltron's paladins have arrived on the planet. "

"Mhm ... I understand - he murmured, without showing particular interest - Is there anything else?"

Semsu stared at him open-mouthed, "Aren't you afraid that the queen will convince the paladins to come to Pa Demi?"

“She could do it. So? What's the problem?"

"Aren't you worried?"

"Why?"

"They could ruin the auction."

“They should first be able to find out where it will take place - commented Kaldrum - No one is admitted without first ascertaining his identity by scanning and DNA testing. I am careful about safety. If the paladins come, they will find only a pleasant place for recreation. "

Semsu was not entirely convinced. He had a concentrated expression that made his face more unpleasant to the eye and hardly gave him an intelligent air.

"That's all?" Kaldrum asked impatiently. He did not like his rare moments of peace to be interrupted.

"Um ... there would be another thing. One of your Galra contacts sent us a video ... "

"Who?"

"Lady Haggar, sir."

Ah, Lady Haggar. A valuable source of information on artifacts and potential customers. Their collaboration benefited both: Haggar helped her with business, and Kaldrum pointed out worlds rich in fifth essence. Finally, he looked up from the go and looked at Semsu, "Let me see." Semsu immediately handed him the tablet, his hands trembling slightly. Kaldrum played the video. 

The face of a young woman appeared on the screen. Mhm, Haggar must have succeeded in that little project of hers, " _Hi, Kaldrum._ " 

The alien leaned his elbows on the desk, ready to listen carefully, _"I heard that you will hold an auction tonight. A real shame not being able to come: I heard you have a Galvasian warrior in the prime of life. Those are perfect for becoming gladiators ..._ " 

A shame, Kaldrum grunted, especially considering that Haggar was fixed thought was the warriors to send to the arena. Strong fighters, hard to find races. The profit was high. 

" _Leave it. I didn't contact you about this. I can't trust the generals of Zarkon for this mission. I have been wanting to reunite my family for a long time ..._ "

Had Haggar also become more sentimental to the ancient gods? The change of body had not done her good. She had never seemed to him to be tied to family or anyone other than herself. 

" _And I want you to help me. I know that Prince Lotor is on Akhet, along with Voltron's paladins and his generals. I want you to capture him and his son. I did not know of the boy's existence until some time ago, but he could be a precious resource for the Empire. I can't let him keep fighting for Voltron, not when the paladins don't understand his true worth._ " 

This was ironic: Zarkon's grandson was fighting him to overthrow him. It seemed that the Universe was taking its revenge on the Emperor.

“ _Obviously, I'm not asking you to do it for free: you will get paid handsomely. I have something that might pique your curiosity…_ \- Haggar put a metallic, bright blue tiara in the foreground. Kaldrum stiffened: the crown of the queen of Altea. He had heard of it and had vague descriptions over the years. A jewel of great value, which he thought had been destroyed with the planet ten thousand years ago. - _Did you know it was made from a comet? It will be yours if you help me. I know you will accept. As soon as you have Lotor and his son, contact me. Attached with this video is all the information you need for the mission._ " 

The screen went blank. There was nothing more to see. 

Semsu, who remained alert throughout the recording, asked, "Sir ... you won't accept, will you?"

"Mhm ... why shouldn't I accept?" said the alien, narrowing his eyes. 

"But the paladins ..."

“Lotor is not an ally they will miss, and the paladins will be able to find a replacement for the paladin we will kidnap - Kaldrum interrupted him - Or maybe they will try to save them. I do not care! I want that crown, Semsu, and everything else is irrelevant. " 

"But…" 

"Did I stutter?" 

"No, sir." 

“Perfect. We still have a spy in the queen's court, don't we? " 

"Sure."

"Contact him. I want to know everything."

A plan was starting to take shape in his mind. Nothing will be left to chance.


	2. I

After making it clear that they were not Galra warriors and they weren't even slave traders, the soldiers led them to a tent.

In front of a blackboard with a map drawn was a girl no bigger than Pidge, green skin and yellow hair combed in a complex hairstyle. The soldiers bowed to her, and the girl dismissed them with a nod of her head.

"I ask forgiveness for the rudeness of my soldiers, paladins. - she said – They are rightly suspicious of everyone these days. And with the wedding date getting closer and closer, they are much more nervous. I am Isis, and I am the queen of this planet. "

Allura bowed," It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."

" Are you Princess Allura? "

" Yes, I am. ”

“ I never thought I'd meet two Alteans in my life. I'm lucky. ”

Two? Coran was not here. Then Lance realized that the queen was talking about him, and instinctively he put a hand to his cheek.

Did he look like that much like an altean? Well, better to have purple skin, long hai,r and look like him. In that case, Lance would have gone mad.

Allura continued, “Are you at war?”

“The war between ārebochi and Akheians ended a few years ago, signing peace with a marriage agreement between me and the firstborn of the ārebochi king, but some ārebochi extremists do not accept peace and carry out terrorist attacks against us. And what's worse, they kidnap children. "

" They kidnap children? - Lance repeated in disgust - Why? ”

“ Child slaves are in high demand, and Kaldrum knows it well. He handsomely pays whoever brings them to him, and with that money the ārebochi buy weapons. "

“ Who is Kaldrum?” Keith asked.

“He is an unscrupulous slave trader. He runs a casino on Pa Demi, one of the moons on my planet, which serves to cover his trade. I have never been able to frame him, the place where the auctions take place is secret.“

Keith had listened carefully, then asked" When should the next auction be held? "

“I don't know. Maybe tomorrow or maybe in a few weeks. Unlike him, I have no reliable spies, and my information is useless. ”

A sigh,“ I'd like to send my entire army to Pa Demi. Slavery here is illegal. But my father sold him the moon, and the contract he signed with Kaldrum made the moon his exclusive property. He can do whatever he wants, without limits. And if I think about the fate of those children ... the ārebochi are cruel. Becoming a slave to the Galra is worse than death. ”

The paladins stared at each other. It was evident that they couldn't leave things that way.

Keith was the first to speak, “You can't send your army. But we don't have these restrictions. ”

The queen looked at Keith as if she had just said that Zarkon was not a tyrant but just misunderstood, and she said,“ It's too risky. You can't do that. ”

“ We can't allow those children to be sold as pieces of meat. We will free them and bring Kaldrum to you for trial. ”

And when Keith had that look, Lance was sure he would do anything to keep his word.

When they returned to the Castle of the Lions, Lotor and his generals were waiting for them in the common room.

Lotor was still a little pale, and he didn't get up when Allura entered.

Seeing him, the princess frowned, " You should rest. "

" I'm fine. "

" I caused you cardiac arrest. "

" It's been a while. "

" Two hours, Lotor. You should stay to much more remorse. "

" I have suffered more serious injuries. "

" Gee, they look like a married couple, "Pidge commented softly. Usually, Lance would appreciate a joke. But he didn't want to laugh, not when he knew Lotor was ... well ... his biological father.

It was Acxa who interrupted the discussion, "What happened?"

"We talked with the queen - Keith replied - She apologized to us and told us that she thought we were slave traders. The ārebochi kidnap children of the akheians to sell them as slaves and have money for new weapons."

Lotor was lost in thought," The most active slave trader in this part of the galaxy is Kaldrum. He has to handle these deals. "

" And how do you know? " Lance asked. It did not escape him that this was the first time he had spoken to Lotor after their flight from Haggar, and the prince seemed to think the same too.

Lotor cleared his throat, "I know him. I made good business with him. "

At that phrase from the galra prince, Lance frowned," What do you mean by good business? "

" He always provided me with strong men. Even though they were slaves, they were fighters capable. "

Lance turned pale.

" Did you use slaves? "

" Yes, why? " Lotor asked, apparently oblivious to his son's discomfort.

"Let me understand. You take people, people who had been free, innocent people who often found themselves there only because they were on the side of the losers in a war they didn't want, and you transform them into cannon fodder, you use them as tools to be sent to death without thinking twice. "

The Galra did not seem at all shaken by his words," You see slaves as living beings, and not as the tools that they are. At least I gave them the honor of dying in war, with weapons in hand, as any soldier wishes. I allowed them to prove their worth. "

" Oh yes, a great honor - Lance said in his voice dripping with poison - Not that they had much choice. "

" It's better than the alternative. They could have ended up in the mines or the Arena. "

" It's normal to have slaves for the Galra? "

" Yeah. It is essential to our economy. It is the slaves who dig in our mines and work to enable us to obtain the raw materials. They are the ones who join the ranks of our armies or are trained to continually provide us with men and arms to enable us to go to war with numerous legions. Without the slaves, the high society of Galra would not be able to devote themselves to military research and training, we would not have the time to train our best generals. Things have been going on like this for centuries. "

" Just because something is a tradition doesn't mean it's right! "Protested the earthling, unable to hold back the impetuosity.

" With technology that the Galra have, you wouldn't even need slaves. You could easily replace them with stains, but no, let's have people do it for free, it's cheaper. It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, and I have three older brothers! "

Lotor tiredly rubbed his eyes," Things are more complicated than that, Ellie. "

The atmosphere becomes tense. Hunk watched nervously his best friend as if he dreaded his reaction.

"Oh, you're kidding me. You have no right to use her name!"

"Lance, I ..."

But the paladin didn't stay to listen and left, followed shortly after by Hunk and Keith.

Lotor stared at him as the paladin walked out of the room, before collapsing against the back of his chair, a hand to his forehead, as if trying to recover from a severe headache.

"And as usual I ruined everything. Again. No doubt about it, as a father I'm not exactly the best ... "

" Give him time "

" Go talk to him "

Allura and Acxa looked at each other in surprise.

"No, I know Lance. When he's so upset you have to give him time to calm down," the princess insisted with a determined look.

"Ridiculous - snorted the general - The attitudes of the paladin are those of a spoiled child. He must immediately understand how things are, and above all realize that the world is not idealized as he believes, that there are things that in his opinion can be considered unfair or creepy. Letting him go he'll think he's won it, plus he'll think his majesty doesn't care enough of him to go after him. "

The two glared at each other, neither willing to give in on their points.

Finall,y Lotor sighed," No, I agree with the princess. Lance's attitude is the same as his mother's, and whenever we argued then I learned to give her time to calm down if I didn't want her to throw something in my face. At least her son can control himself ... "

He said it in a nostalgic tone, and he had a kind of look that left little doubt about his feelings towards that woman.

Allura tried to ignore the pain of jealousy she felt. She failed.

It wasn't hard to find Lance. He had gone into the hangar, along with Red. Keith also went to the Lion whenever he felt upset.

"Well, we found him," Hunk muttered at his side, before taking a deep breath.

He muttered, "It's time to do my duty as a best friend. "

Keith took him by the arm," Hey, where do you think you're going? "

Hunk frowned," I'm going to talk to him, it seems obvious. situation like that will need the comfort of his best friend, won't he? "

The other paladin just shook his head," No, I'm going. I think I understand how he feels at the moment, so I could provide better help. "

" Since when did you get good at giving emotional advice? "

" Since I spent two years trapped with my mom. I have to say it was great therapy. "

"Two years?"

"I haven't told you yet ... but it doesn't matter now. I'll talk to Lance."

"No, I'll go."

" I'm the leader of Voltron. "

" And I ... "

" And you two are idiots - Lance interjected, while he was stroking Red's head - Try to keep your voice low next time you follow someone. "

Hunk had the decency to be embarrassed. Keith didn't blink, "The discussion got out of hand."

"I see it. You're wasting your time anyway. I don't need to talk to anyone now."

"Well, Lotor just called you with your mom's name, it makes sense that you ... ouch ... "Hunk moaned after Keith nudged him in the side.

Lance snorted," Wow, straight to the point. Thanks, Hunk. "

" We want to know how you feel. "

" How do you think I am?”

" Not good. "

" It's the euphemism of the century - Lance retorted - But the thing that bothered me the most is Lotor saying her name. Almost like he cared about her. "

The black paladin said," Maybe he cared about her. "

" Oh sure. If he had listened to her, he would not continue to think that slavery is an acceptable thing. Mom would have broken his nose if she had heard him say such a thing. It was not enough that I was the son of a psycho prince, he is also a pro-slavery asshole! "

Hunk started to open his mouth, but Keith tapped him on time, "Look, you don't have to be afraid to be like him. Lotor is an idiot, but you are just the opposite of him. Honest, selfless,s and exceptional in many ways."

Lance felt his face burn with embarrassment at hearing the unexpected compliments of the other, imitated by Keith, who had probably unexpectedly spoken before thinking.

Hunk looked between the two, not realizing what he had just witnessed.

The awkward silence was broken by the Keit, "Ahem, anyway, don't think about it. How about if we put up a plan to sneak into Pa Demi? So you can keep yourself a little busy and stop thinking about Lotor. "

" Are you sure you want to ask me for help? I'm not exactly the brightest on this ship. "

" Nonsense! How did you come up with it? " Hunk asked.

Lance looked at him oddly, "You and Pidge. Several times too."

"Dude, I'm sorry."

"Especially because they were both wrong - Keith continued- You are a very good strategist, Lance. Without your plans, the Galra would have captured us long ago. "

" But planning a slave escape ... it's much more complicated. "

" If anyone can plan it, that's you, "Keith said confidently, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

“Oh, damn. You know how to make a guy say yes. "

" So will you help? "

" Sure, I don't want to risk being caught as soon as I set foot and there and be auctioned. In your opinion, when is a human-galra hybrid worth? I think it might be worth quite a lot. ”

“ Don't even joke, ”Hunk said in fear.

Lance half smiled at him,“ Oh Hunk, I'm not kidding. How much is someone like me worth? This is an unknown that I don't like. I could attract the wrong kind of attention, and thus compromise the rescue mission. ”

It was something Keith hadn't thought of,“ From that point of view, then Allura is also taking risks by introducing herself to Pa Demi. Extinct races must attract the attention of ... mhm ... admirers. "

Lance grimaced in disgust," I'm afraid so. However, Allura can disguise herself well and hide her Altean features. I still can't do it. "

" Last time you managed to pretend to be Pidge, "the yellow paladin reminded him.

" Not for long, dude. We don't know how long we'll have to stay there, and I doubt we'll be able to free the slaves and shoot all the buyers in five minutes. ”

“ Lance, we're not going to shoot anyone. ”

“ Sure? Ah, I would have loved to do that. ”

“ Guys, focus - Hunk called them back - In summary, we need to break into an alien casino, prevent Lance and Allura from being kidnapped for sale, and free some slaves. All this when there are only five of us, not knowing where the auction will be held and how many men Kaldrum has at his disposal. "

" We can do it, "Keith said, in the tone of someone who did not allow replies.

Lanc,e he smiled sadly, “I'm afraid this time we won't be able to do it all by ourselves. We will need extra backups. We're going to need Lotor and his generals for help. ”

And from the way he said it, it was evident that he wasn't happy with that prospect.


	3. II

In the end, there was no need to contact their spy.

Prince Lotor contacted him first.

“Prince Lotor. To what do I owe the pleasure? " Kaldrum said, smiling pleasantly at the person staring at him on the other side of the screen.

Give me some good news, he thought, intertwining his hands. He needed a way to make his job easier.

"I heard you land an auction."

"It's tonight."

"What is the quality of the merchandise?"

"Good," Kaldrum replied.

“Do you have what I need?”

He already knew the kind of goods the prince needed, and usually supplied him with good quality: ex-soldiers, miners, gladiators. Anyone useful to fight.

But according to Haggar's information, Lotor no longer needed his services, having allied himself with the Paladins of Voltron. This meant that this was a trap to find the slaves and evidence of his activities so that the queen could kick him out of Pa Demi. He recognized an opportunity when it presented itself, and he wouldn't let it slip away.

"They brought me very young men - not a complete lie - And I have no doubt they would be perfect soldiers for you."

“Mhm. The auction… ”

“ You're officially invited. I'll be waiting for you at Pa Demi. ”

For a moment, Lotor looked surprised but quickly recovered,“ I'll come. ”

And the communication was cut off. Kaldrum wanted to laugh. Oh, it was perfect! And if there will also be a son of him with the prince ... a job done without too much trouble. “

“ Yeah, sir? ”

“ Call Rung. There are some changes I want to make to the program tonight. "

At the end of the call, Lotor leaned back in his chair, looking at the dark monitor screen.

It was easier than expected. Kaldrum was usually more rigid in accepting a customer, especially when there was little time left for an auction.

He hadn't noticed anything strange in his attitude, but there was something out of place. He tried to tell himself that it was just his paranoia about him, but he couldn't calm down. The feeling that something was wrong remained.

"It's dangerous."

He turned. Acxa was behind him, her arms crossed over her chest, and her expression frowned. She must have listened. everything.

"I'm the only one who has already had contact with him. He won't suspect me. ”

“ You expose yourself. ”

“ I'm not going alone. Lance and the black paladin will accompany me. "

" And do you have any idea how many men Kaldrum has? " Acxa asked him.

“No.”

“Three of you can't do everything.”

“I know. But as I understand it, Lance's plan is for you generals and the other paladins to join forces. ”

“ The black paladin has given me a summary of what to do. I don't like it, because he didn't tell me everything. I know my role, and nothing else. "

" The boy is provident. If any of us get caught, he won't be able to reveal the location of the others. ”

Acxa raised an eyebrow,“ You're justifying it. ”

“ I'm not doing this. I think the idea of him is clever. "

" And tell me, did Lance tell you what his plan is? "

Faced with the prince's silence, Acxa rubbed her eyes," Lotor, this is serious. You realize this, don't you? "

“I'm aware of that.”

“It doesn't seem like it. You are far too calm. "

"I try to stay in control."

"You're not in control, and I understand you want the paladins to trust you ... - she broke off, then corrected herself - No, you want Lance to trust you. And to do that, you risk your life. ”

“ I'm familiar with his strategies. The boy has talent. "

“You don't even know him.”

“I know what he's capable of. Or at least, I know what his potential is. If she inherited his intelligence from his mother… ”

“ A mother whose name you cannot pronounce in front of him. ”

“ He's not wrong. I didn't keep my promise. ”

“ It wasn't your fault. ”

Lotor swallowed a bitter laugh,“ Are you sure? I focused on so many things, all of them wrong. I try to tell myself I've tried to keep her safe, but part of me knows it's a lie. I wanted to disturb my father, everything else didn't matter. Not even her ... and now she is dead, I can't even say sorry, even if it would be useless, after the time she has wasted. I… ”

He stopped. For an instant, he had seemed to him as if someone had been stroking his head. Ah, it was just a suggestion.

Acxa commented, “You're projecting your sense of glue onto Lance. You will agree to do anything if he asks you to. Even risking your life. ”

“ Now you're exaggerating. ”

“ Considering the current situation, I'm not exaggerating. Lance's plan has too many unknowns, too many things we don't know because he doesn't trust enough to share all the information. ”

“ Or he wants to be cautious. ”

“ You're lying to yourself. ”

“And what do you want me to do? Do you want me to make him talk? ”

“ If not us, at least he should let you know everything. You're the one who risks the most, he owes you. "

" He doesn't owe me anything. "

“ You are wrong. “

“ Acxa…”

“If you don't want to face it, try Princess Allura. She trusts you, and she will surely understand. "

" Who tells you I don't want to talk to him? "

" You're afraid it'll go wrong, and you might act like Zarkon. "

Damn. She knew him very well. He hadn't signed up to have all those feelings. Lotor won't talk with Lance. But with Allura was different.

“ Ah…I’m a coward…”

The casino on Pa Demi was the most opulent place Lance had ever seen: there was a slide of golden liquid twisted around a glass elevator that went up at least thirty floors, pillars of light supported a hazy arched ceiling and scattered around the room. There were several game tables surrounded by handfuls of Akusians served by the robot croupiers.

Lance felt uncomfortable with the galra armor he had borrowed from Ezor. Keith, on the other hand, was fine, and he envied him a lot.

"I don't like this place," Pidge said succinctly.

“Pidge, relax. What can go wrong? " Hunk asked her.

"Everything."

"Don't spoil my mood," Hunk groaned.

"We're looking for a slave trafficker - Pidge pointed out - You don't think he has any henchman with him? "

"Er ... henchmen like that?" Lance intervened, gesturing to the Akusians hiding near the steps, armed and decidedly unfriendly.

They were probably the men of Kaldrum. That bastard cared about safety.

“We'll have to be careful - said Allura, calmly studying the room. She had covered her marks so as not to attract unwanted attention. Lance had tried to do the same, but the result was mediocre - One misstep and it will all go up in smoke. "

Keith said," This isn't the first time we've faced a difficult situation. "

" I remember you tend to make a lot of trouble, "Lotor commented.

" Usually it happens because I'm impulsive, "the black paladin reluctantly admitted.

" One wonders how Zarkon has lost to you so many times. "

"Usually thanks to Lance's ideas."

Lance shrugged, "As much as you love getting compliments, we can't waste time. Our appointment with Kaldrum is just around the corner. You already know what to do, don't you? "

" You don't need to remind me, idiot, I don't have an empty head like you, "Pidge snapped nervously and gave him a dirty look.

" Hey, there is no need to offend, "Keith replied gruffly.

The girl was on the verge of retorting, perhaps with a comment about the other paladin's stature, when Lance quickly stepped between two, "Hey, calm down, both of you. This way you will attract the attention of the whole casino. "

This managed to shut them up. Lance continued," Remember, discretion. And if something happens ... "

" I'll blow it all up, "Pidge finished.

" No, Pidge. That's not the plan. "

" But you can't deny that you'd like to destroy this place too. "

" No, that's not what we're here for. Now go and don't mess it up. "

Pidge just gave a sharp nod of his head before parting ways with the high-flying group, soon followed by Hunk, worried that the other would get into some trouble with the nervous texts. Allura glanced at Lance and then gave him a knowing nod and disappeared in turn, trying to mingle with the rest of the casino guests, they leave the Cuban alone with Keith and Lotor.

"When Kaldrum arrives? "Lance asked.

" Now. "

They turned and saw an alien approach them. He was small and elegant, and moved confidently, getting on Lance's nerves.

He remembered a boy from the Garrison, the same contemptuous attitude towards anyone he deemed inferior.

He would have gladly punched him, but he held himself back. He saw his hands twitch, and knew that the other felt the same too.

Behind Kaldrum were three very robust aliens, probably his bodyguards.

One detail drew attention. one of Lance: all three had a black collar around their neck, which felt very heavy.

It must have hurt to wear it.

Kaldrum smiled at the prince, "We haven't seen each other in a long time."

"I've been busy," Lotor replied.

"I thought so. The war takes a long time. Were you satisfied with your latest purchases? "

" They didn't last long. They would have been fine for the Arena, but not for space battles. They lacked the skills to fight for me. "

The alien just shrugged his back, still showing a slavish smile, "Warriors are hard to find these days, prince. They all prefer to live by their ridiculous code of honor, and die heroically in battle, or something like that."

"I can't imagine why - Lance thought sarcastically, trying hard not to roll his eyes - Everyone would like to work to make others rich and be exploited to death."

Meanwhile, the slaver continued, "Don't worry: you I promise that tonight's merchandise will certainly be to your liking. "

Having said that, it was profuse a slight bow, then looking up at Lance and Keith.

Lance felt uncomfortable under that gaze. It seemed that he wanted to steal all his secrets.

Kaldrum smiled, "You didn't come alone."

"Two of my generals came for safety. You will certainly understand my circumstances."

"Don't you trust my security measures?" Kaldrum asked.

"I don't trust anyone."

"What a sad life, prince."

"It's an attitude that has kept me alive for a long time."

"Mhm. .. I understand. Everyone does what they have to to survive. "

Lotor nodded," Now can we go to the auction? "

" Yeah. Follow me. "

The trio followed the alien in the middle of the gaming tables.

As he passed by, Lance was able to notice the varied fauna of the casino, from the bored rich looking for some stimulus, to those who had already sold their souls to that place and who lived with dice or cards in hand, to those who practiced trades that the most moralists would have seen wrong and so on.

He could also take a look at other curiosities of the building, such as a giant aquarium on one side of the room that housed exotic varieties of fish and aquatic plants he had never seen before, the tapestries and paintings on the walls, each of them probably so valuable as to be worth as much as the entire building, at the individual tables where they played from things like poker or the caravan to games he had never seen that involved twelve-sided dice and decks of cards with pictures on both sides.

Suddenly he thought he noticed Hunk, standing by a slot machine, while there was no trace of Allura and Pidge.

Finally, they arrived in front of the doors of an elevator painted in solid gold. Kaldrum called the vehicle and then made them sit down and press the keys to take them to the lower floors.

It was a small blessing that there was no music in the background like in the land elevators. A cheery tune would have gone out of tune with the tension of the moment.

Suddenly, Kaldrum spoke, "I hear Zarkon is alive."

"So they say," Lotor said, standing impassive.

Kaldrum pulled a mask from his jacket pocket and put it on, then continued, “Now he's reborn into a much younger and stronger body. He's lucky, even though he's likely not going to live long. ”

“ I hope so. ”

“ This increases your chances of becoming Emperor. And you won't have to worry about having an heir, considering you already have a son. "

The frost fell, and Lotor's mask of perfect composure cracked, much to the slaver's delight," You ... "

Small holes opened in the walls and pink dust entered. It was enough to smell them to make Lotor understand that they were screwed.

“You and your son are in great demand, Lotor. - Kaldrum said, adjusting his mask - Haggar made me a generous offer to take you to her. And while I'm at it, I'll give you the black paladin too. I bet he's dying to get his hands on him. "

Lance felt dizzy, and leaned against the wall, trying not to fall to the ground. Keith was bent over and breathing heavily, while Lotor persisted in standing. Kaldrum put a hand on his shoulder, “There's no point in resisting, prince. You breathed enough Glix to takedown twenty men. Don't be stubborn and accept… ”

Lance heard no further. He closed his eyes and instantly lost consciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> \- English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry for any errors.


End file.
